


wear my soul and call me a liar

by caitlesshea



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Baby Shower, Engagement, Jealous Michael, M/M, exasperated isobel, happy Alex, happy forrest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:20:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitlesshea/pseuds/caitlesshea
Summary: Michael sees Forrest carrying a shopping bag from a jewelry store. He tries to tell Alex.
Relationships: Forrest Long/Alex Manes, Michael Guerin & Alex Manes, Michael Guerin & Forrest Long
Comments: 7
Kudos: 47





	wear my soul and call me a liar

It’s been two years, three months, and seventeen days since he last kissed Alex. He also knows the time down to the hour, down to the minute, but he doesn’t feel like being _that_ pathetic. 

Michael leans against the outside of Max’s house and watches as Alex smiles with Forrest and their friends and he feels his heart clench. 

It’s been twenty five days since Alex so much as squeezed his arm. 

It’s been eighteen days since he last heard Alex laugh, at some stupid joke Forrest made.

And it’s been twelve days since he saw Forrest leaving a jewelry store, with a bag in his hand, and a spring in his step. And it was _not_ the kind of store where Forrest buys his _edgy_ silver rings. 

“You’re brooding.” Michael startles at the sound of Alex’s voice as he comes to stand next to him.

“I’m not brooding.” Michael sulks as he takes a sip of his beer and mentally notes that it’s now been zero minutes since he heard Alex laugh.

“No?” Alex shrugs his shoulders and smiles. “C’mon, this is a happy occasion.”

“Right.” Michael rolls his eyes, even though he knows it is. 

“Second human-alien hybrid. At least Max and Liz are the guinea pigs.”

“Yeah. Guess you’re right.” Michael laughs even as his heart aches. He thinks back to that conversation with Isobel a couple of years ago and how she’d said he’d be a great father.

“Hey. Where’d you go?” 

Michael looks over at Alex and can see he’s genuinely asking and his eyes, ever so kind, are warm. 

“Are you happy?” Michael asks and instantly curses himself when Alex pulls away from him.

“Michael.”

“Are you?” Michael presses because it feels like he’s pressing on a bruise. Maybe Alex was right, all those years ago, and he _does_ like how it feels to hurt. 

Alex looks over to where Forrest is laughing with Rosa and Maria and he raises a hand up to his chest and holds it there. Michael’s breath catches at the look on Alex’s face, once a look he thought would only be directed at _him_. 

“Yeah.” Alex says quietly. “I’m happy.” 

“Mmm.”

“What?” Alex turns towards him again and Michael would be happy that Alex is paying attention to him but all he feels is sadness.

“Nothin’.” 

“Just spit it out, Guerin.” Alex says exasperated. 

Michael doesn’t know what possesses him to say what he says next but he doesn’t think when he says it.

“I saw Forrest leaving a jewelry store the other day.” 

Alex looks at him sharply as his beer slips through his fingers. 

“What?” Alex says in an eerily calm voice as everyone turns their way at the sound of broken glass. 

“Alex. I’m - ”

“No.” Alex’s military voice is out in full force and _oh_ Michael hates it. “How dare you.”

“I didn’t - ”

“How dare you take that from me.” Alex goes to leave, sidestepping Michael’s hands as he heads inside. 

Michael can vaguely see Isobel running after him as she shakes her head at Michael but Michael’s eyes are on Forrest.

Forrest gets up calmly from the table, walks over to Max and Liz, presumably to apologize for cutting their time short, because he is _that_ kind of guy, and then he walks up to Michael.

“Michael.” Forrest says calmly as he looks inside to see if Isobel has found Alex.

“Forrest, I - ”

“What did you say to him?” Forrest just looks tired. Not with Alex, but with Michael. 

They’ve danced around each other for years, Forrest admitting to Michael that he knows he and Alex will always love each other, but he loves Alex, too, so they had to figure out a way to coexist. 

“It’ll be a lot easier if you just tell me, you know how he is.”

Michael sighs, because he _does_ know. “I told him I saw you coming out of a jewelry store.” 

Forrest pinches the bridge of his nose. “Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know.” Michael shrugs. “I’m an asshole?”

“Nah.” Forrest shakes his head. “You pretend to be.” 

“If you say so.” 

“Maybe lay off the jealousy for a little bit.” Forrest squeezes his arm and Michael doesn’t even care that he’s being called out. “We’re your friends.” 

Michael scoffs and Forrest shakes his head. 

“I didn’t mean to ruin this for you.” 

Forrest smiles and turns to leave. “You didn’t.” 

Michael watches as Forrest walks up to Alex, giving Isobel a smile. Alex turns his head towards the back patio but Forrest grabs his face and kisses him once. 

Michael’s eyes burn and before he looks away he notices Forrest pull a chain out from under Alex’s shirt and unclasps it so a ring falls off the chain.

Michael’s not sure he’s breathing as he watches Forrest put the ring on Alex’s ring finger and he turns away as they kiss one last time before leaving. 

Michael looks up into Isobel’s glare as she stares him down. 

“You didn’t have to do that.” Isobel says as she studies him intently. Michael suddenly can’t be here so he throws his beer away as he goes back inside.

“Just keeping up appearances.” Michael sneers as he ignores Isobel’s shouts for him. 

It’s been twenty minutes and fifteen seconds since he made Alex cry. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come find me on Tumblr - same username!


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